Summary

277,000 members 135,000 more than next-most popular German team Schalke.

Club president Hopfner: "Delighted."

FC Bayern München have been named the biggest sports club by membership, with a staggering 277,000 members.

"I'm delighted at the ongoing excitement about our club," beamed Bayern president Karl Hopfner. "Hopefully more and more Bayern fans will express their identification with the club by becoming members in the future."

German champions Bayern, who have won the Bundesliga title a record 25 times, have seen their membership increase by 7,000 since November 2015. The next-best supported German club is FC Schalke 04, who have 142,000 members.